Simply Succotash.

Thank you to Ian. After weeks of wheedling, he has agreed to allow his first guest writer – ME! (Anne)

When August arrives, and local corn is as plentiful as mosquitoes, you know the time has come for succotash. Besides being an odd word, succotash is a tasty, immensely satisfying dish. Courtesy of the Aztecs and Native Americans, succotash features corn, typically paired with beans – lima beans, green beans or, my favorite, sugar snap peas (bean-like but certainly not lima beans!).

This version of succotash is perfect for an elegant dinner party, or a quick, mid-week meal with the family. It is easy to make, but tastes so good that you’d swear it must have taken hours!

To give this succotash context, today was one of those brilliant mid-to-late summer days – cool, sunny and just on this side of crisp. The ideal day to head to the coast. We started out in Gloucester at Café Sicilia, our favorite place for a great cup of cappuccino and an Italian pastry. This morning, Paul (owner, baker and quite a character) informed us that we would be having Italian croissants for breakfast. Who were we to argue? (He is one big guy! And the croissants were magnificent…) Besides, at 10:30 am we were able to score a couple of delicious loaves of semolina bread straight out of the oven! Fortified with carbohydrates, we ambled along Eastern Point admiring the mansions and speculating which ones we would be able to live in. The ocean glittered. The roses smelled great. Life was good.

Back to the succotash… This version appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine in 2001. To complement the rich scallops and butter, Ian reached way back into the wine cellar to retrieve a 2004 Kistler, Sonoma Coast, Les Noisetiers chardonnay (from our friends Kurt and Sabrina at Beverly Wine and Beer). This wine is outstanding, not at all like the over-oaked, overly sweet chardonnays that California is producing nowadays. It paired wonderfully with the meal, making the succotash sing!

Corn, Zucchini and Sugar Snap Pea Succotash with Seared Scallops

• 4 TBSP butter


• 4 small zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced


• 4 ears of fresh corn, kernels removed from cobs


• ½ lb. sugar snap peas, cut diagonally in thirds


• 3 TBSP chopped fresh thyme


• Salt and pepper to taste


• 1 ½ lbs sea scallops, muscle flap removed


• ½ cup heavy cream


• Extra thyme (for garnish)

In a skillet, melt two tablespoons of the butter and cook the zucchini, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the zucchini begins to soften and turn brown at the edges.

Add the corn and sugar snap peas. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or just until they are very hot and the sugar snap peas are still quite green and crisp. Season with thyme, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, in a heavy-based skillet, heat the remaining butter and add the scallops. Sear the scallops on both sides over medium-high heat, for 1 to 2 minutes on a side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through.

Stir the cream into the corn mixture and heat the mixture just until it is very hot. Taste the mixture for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if you like.

Spoon the succotash onto each of 4 dinner plates. Garnish the succotash with scallops and thyme and serve at once.

Serves 4.

The succotash turned out great. It was bittersweet, however, to read my notes scribbled on the recipe. We had last made this dish on 9/11/01.